A Switch of Fates
by RaptorChicky
Summary: AU. Huh? Kikiyo lived and Inuyasha died? And now his reincarnation has fallen through the well? Complete! First fic, so reviews are welcomed!
1. Waking Dreams

**A Switch of Fates**

**Liza**

Disclaimer:  Don't own, don't sue.  (I'm a college student anyway—like I have money.)

Summary:  AU.  What if Kikyo hadn't died?  What if it had been Inuyasha instead?  And what if Inuyasha's reincarnation falls through the well?

Review:  Yes please!  If you've got to flame, be gentle, as my ego is a hemophiliac.  This is my first fic ever and I'd like to see what everybody thinks!  (Think of it as way to make me write more…)  And if there are other fics like this one (you know—ones w/ Inuyasha's reincarnation), tell me!

Rating:  G, for now…

**Chapter 1: Waking Dreams**

He raced through the darkened forest, the wind whipping through his thick silver hair, snapping the sleeves of his red robe.  The sounds of branches as he shot past them and the crackle of fallen leaves beneath his bare feet filled his sensitive ears.  Overhead, through breaks in the tree cover, his keen eyes could easily pick out the twinkle of stars and the white glow of the full moon.  He could think of nothing that was more peaceful.  Life was good.

            A woman's shout brought him to a sudden halt.  He couldn't make out what she was saying, but he knew she'd said his name.  He searched for the voice's owner, but could see no sign of her, in fact, he could see nothing at all—the forest had gone pitch black and all sounds were gone, leaving him in a vacuum.  There was a flash, illuminating the woman, though it strangely left her face shrouded in shadow and he suddenly found himself pinned to a tree, an arrow piercing his heart.  Unfortunately, he didn't die instantly—his youkai blood prevented that—and he cried out in pain when he tried to pull the arrow out; the enchantment on the arrow wouldn't allow him to touch the bloody shaft.

            _The priestess…How could she…? he thought as he felt the life within him slowly ebb away.  Releasing his final gasp, he saw his attacker step forward, bringing the smell of her blood with her, and before he died, he saw her—_

            Ian jerked upright, gasping for air.  Unconsciously, he rubbed his bare chest, where he could still feel the sting of the arrow in his dream.  After a minute or two, his heart finally slowed and he glanced at his alarm clock; he groaned—it was only three in the morning—and flopped back down onto his pillows.

            _Again with that dream…  The teen wiped the sweat from his brow and stared up at the ceiling, wondering.  __Always that dream.  I can't remember any of the others, so why only this one?_

            As long as he could remember, Ian had dreams (or nightmares) similar to the one that had just yanked him out of slumber.  Most of the time, he couldn't remember what happened in them and if he was lucky, he'd recall a land that looked nothing like his native Seattle, but never could remember a face, or a name.  The arrow dream was the only one that Ian could remember with crystal clear accuracy—the smell of the trees and grass, the ground beneath his feet, even the singing of the nightingales in the background.  But this time, the nightmare had a new element:  instead of waking up the moment he was shot, he woke up when he died in his dream.

            Not too many people knew about Ian's dreams.  He didn't tell his parents and he definitely didn't mention it to his older brother.  Kathlynn, Ian's on-again, off-again, girlfriend was one of them.  "Maybe they're from your past lives?" she'd suggested when he mentioned that he felt that he'd really been in those places in his dreams.  "Maybe you should go see a psychic or something."  For her suggestion, Kathlynn received Ian's trademark "Feh!"  Ian would consider believing in that psychic (or was it "psycho"?) mumbo-jumbo the moment he saw Bigfoot storm through his back yard on a mo-ped.

            "What's it all mean?" he asked out loud.

            The darkness of his room gave no answer.

            "Now you're sure you have everything, Ian honey?  Enough socks, underwear, toothpaste—"

            "Mooooommmmmmm….."

            Sarah Higurashi continued on, ignoring her son, "—toothbrush, deodorant—"

            "Mooom…"

            "And your cell phone!  Do you have your phone?"

            "Mom!"

            Sarah blinked.  "Well, do you?"

            "No, I threw it out the car window when you weren't looking.  Of course I have it.  And will you please stop worrying?  It's not like I haven't done this before; you could've just dropped me off instead of coming in with me."

            It was that time of year again: July, the month Ian spent with his aunt in Tokyo, and he'd been doing it since he was 12.  He couldn't understand why his mother was so worried—he knew the airport like the back of his hand.

            Ian's mother smiled, "I know that, but you're still my little boy," she replied while mock pouting.

            Ian rolled his eyes.

            Souta draped his arm around his wife's shoulders, "Sarah-chan, your "little boy" is nearly 18.  I think he can take care of himself.  Ienobu," he continued with a wink to his youngest, "you better call her every 10 minutes, or your mother might have a nervous breakdown."

            The 30-something red-head jabbed an elbow into Souta's side. "No I won't!"

            "Oh, yes you will!"  Embracing his son, "Now say "hello" to your Kagome-basan for us and don't cause any trouble for her."

            "I'll try not to burn down the temple this time.  Maybe a few random trees instead."

            "That's my boy!" Souta chuckled.

            Sarah nearly squeezed the life out of Ian.  "Call us when you land and when you get to your aunt's shrine."

            "How about when the plane is about to crash in a fiery ball of death and pain?"

            Fixing him with a look, Sarah shook her head.  "Just as long as you don't scream my ear off.  Now you behave."

            "I suppose…"  Ian gave his parents one last hug and disappeared into the terminal.

            _Thank you God, Ian sighed and settled into his seat as the plane took off from the runway.  He loved his parents dearly, but sometimes they could drive him a little batty, especially around this time of year.  Thankfully, his Aunt Kagome didn't drive him insane, though his great-grandfather was a bit of a character: the man was nearly 100, but still as spry as a 60 year old, though his mind left something to be desired—he kept muttering about youkai and slapping sutras on anything within reach.  He even smacked a sutra on Ian's Game Boy the first time he heard the digital explosions bursting out of the speaker.  Ian lost that game._

            When he was around his aunt, it was the only time Ian showed interest in his Japanese heritage, albeit it was a forced interest.  At home, Ian rarely used Japanese phrases, but in Tokyo it was nothing but Japanese, since Kagome pretended to ignore Ian when he slipped into English, even though she understood English perfectly.  She also refused to call him by his "American" name and only used his given name—Ienobu; oddly, Ian had no problem with that.  One of her friends had even taught the boy some Judo, while another showed him sword techniques.  He wasn't the greatest in either, though he could slip free of almost any hold and knew how not to chop his leg off while swinging a katana around.  And unlike a portion of Japanese culture, Kagome didn't care about his gaijin blood, and even encouraged him to be proud of his mixed heritage.

            "Mutts are always more interesting," she'd laugh.  "And have more interesting features."

            She never said it, but Ian knew she meant his eyes.  Ian never did like his eyes, though all girls did.  _How'd they put it?  My eyes make me look…"mysteriously sexy?"  Feh!_  None of his Japanese or Welsh relative had eyes like his.  At first glance, Ian's eyes were a warm Hershey's brown, but give a second glance and you would notice flecks that were an odd bright gold color.  And he swore his eyes almost turned yellow when he got angry.

            The rest of Ian appeared to be a normal Japanese teenager—average height, with a slightly muscular build from years of being in track, and blond tipped black hair that he kept short, with a few strands falling over his eyes.

            The airport in Tokyo was nuts, filled with people greeting newly arrived friends and family, rapid-fire Japanese filling the air.  Over the din, Ian was able to pick out one voice.

            "Ienobu!  Ienobu!  Over here!"

            Ian's face brightened when he spotted a  petite woman shoving her way through he crowd, jumping into the air, waving her arms.  "Kagome-basan!"  Darting forward, he wrapped his arms around his aunt.  "You shrunk Kagome-basan," he grinned.

            Lightly smacking his bicep, "More like you got bigger, you brat.  Come on, let's get your stuff—your Jiisan is waiting."

            They spent nearly half an hour watching random luggage putz by until they spotted Ian's things and hauled tail out of the crowed airport and to the shrine.

            "I see you actually went through with it," Kagome piped up once they escaped the airport, tapping her ear.

            Ian fingered the small gold hoop dangling from his earlobe.  "Yup.  Mom nearly had a heart attack.  It took a week or so, but Dad got over the shock."

            Kagome smiled and brushed aside a stray strand of hair.  She looked much younger than her 4 decades—her large brown eyes were still bright, her thick ebony hair, now pulled into a ponytail at the nape of her long neck, showed no signs of going gray, and the only lines on her face were smile lines.  "And school?  You're going to be a senior, right?  Thought about college yet?"

            "Not really," shrugged Ian.  "I figure I still got a few months before I need to worry about that.  Dad even thinks I could get a scholarship if I keep doing well in track."

            "Of course you will!  If I remember, you did get medals in all three of your events this year at state tournaments…"

            Another shrug.  "There were guys a lot better than me."

            "Oh, bull.  If I tried doing any of that stuff, you know what would happen!  I'd break the pole, trip over the hurdles, and trip over my own feet, ending up with a mouthful of sand.  You're good and you know it."

            Ian only smiled slightly and looked out the passenger window.

            Flexing her fingers around the steering wheel, "…You didn't get much sleep last night, did you?  You were dreaming again," the woman asked quietly.

            "…Yeah," came the equally quiet reply after a moment's hesitation.  Ian could never hide anything from his aunt.  "But…it was different this time.  I– I died in the dream."

            "And still no idea who the woman is?"  Kagome tried to bite back her concern, but some it still leaked into her voice.

            Shaking his head, "None, though her clothes remind me of the priestess fuku you sometimes wear.  I still get the feeling that I know her well and– and I don't know.  I got a new feeling last night…almost– almost like–" Ian bit the corner of his mouth, struggling to find the right description, "– like – like betrayal, but I don't know why."  He shook his head in frustration.

            "We can talk about it later, if you want to."  Kagome eased the car to a halt, shifted to park, and killed the engine.  "But right now, let's get you settled and you can rest up."

            Nearly two weeks slipped by before Ian was roused out of his slumber—the longest on record—but it wasn't a recurrent dream that woke the teen.  Instead, it was a scratching at his window.  Groggy, he rolled over and buried his head under his pillow, but the scratching only continued and got progressively louder and more persistent.

           _All right already!  Ian dragged himself out of bed and stumbled to the window, ready to give B4 (short for Buyo the Fourth) a swift kick to his fuzzy rear.  __Damn cat…_

            "Huh?"

            The feline blimp was nowhere in sight.  Shoving the window up, he stuck his head out, calling out, "B4!  B4!  Come here ya flea bag!"  Still no cat.  _Screw 'em_, he grumbled, ready to shut the window and reclaim the sanctuary of his bed.

            A scuttling figure outside stopped him.

            "Huh?" he said for the second time in as many minutes.

            Last he checked, Ian didn't know of any midgets that ran around shrine complexes at 4am while wearing robes and carrying a staff.  His jaw dropped when it stopped and fixed its large frog-like eyes on him and disappeared into the shed that sheltered the well.

            Ian had seen enough.  He slipped a pair of jeans over his boxers, his Nikes, a white t-shirt and slipped out the still open window, making a bee-line for the well.

            Jiisan had talked Ian's ears off numerous times with stories about the well.  According to legend, their ancestors used to dump the bodies of slain youkai into the well and within a short time, nothing was left of the carcasses, thus its name: the Bone Eater's Well.  Though he didn't give the legends an iota of belief, Ian preferred to not go near the old well; it always gave a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach.  Tonight was different.  Something strange was going on and Ian wanted to know what it was.

            "Hello?" he called out softly as he carefully descended the short flight of stairs to the well.  "Anybody here?"  _I should have brought a flashlight._  After a few minutes, Ian's eyes adapted and he searched the entire shed—corners, under ledges, even up in the rafters—but he was the only living being in the shed.  Scowling, "Probably was a dre—"

            A shrill whistling, like wind screaming over a chimney, issued from the well.  Startled, Ian spun around, his jaw smacking into the ground at what he saw:  glowing white tendrils snaking out of the well's opening, flowing across the dirt floor like liquid mercury, all heading straight for him.  Shouting for Kagome and Jiisan, Ian scrambled for the door, falling up the steps.  He never made it.  A cold tendril snagged an ankle and jerked him off his feet.  Ian, latching onto a support strut, kicked and screamed as more ethereal wisps wrapped around his body and steadily pulled him closer to the well.

            "Ienobu!!"

            "Kagome-basan!"  Ian hollered, straining to pull free, and failing.

            "Hold on!"  Kagome, followed by Jiisan, raced toward the younger Higurashi.  More tendrils erupted out the well, intercepting the two adults, cutting off any avenue of advance or retreat.  They could only watch helplessly as the screaming Ian was dragged into the well.

            "IENOBU!!"


	2. Where Dreams Become Reality

**A Switch In Fates**

Liza

Disclaimer:  Again, me no own, you no sue.  Though I'd be willing to fork over a lot of $$$ if Sesshoumaru was mine…mmmmm…fluffy…XD

Summary:  Last I checked, I haven't changed the plot…

Reviews:  [Pulls out AK-47, smiles innocently] Keep 'em comin'!      Flamer: "You suck!"  [Liza proceeds to empty clip with glee]  Any other complaints?

Rating: PG, for a little violence and language (Naughty Ian!  Go to my room!  Hee-hee)

****

**Chapter 2: Where Dreams Become Reality**

A groan could be heard coming from the bottom of the Bone-Eater's Well.  If anybody was around to look into the well, they would find a young man sprawled out in a rather undignified manner.

Groaning even louder, Ian pushed himself into a sitting position, rubbing his side—something had been jabbing him there.  "Jeez!" he cried when he saw what it had been and pressed himself against a wall.  It was a spiraled horn, and it was attached to a skull he'd never seen before.  In fact, the ground was littered with bones Ian couldn't begin put words to—claws, horns, spikes, skulls with one eye socket, others with multiple sockets, and some with none at all.  "What the hell?!"  Craning his neck back, Ian saw the opening above, a good 15 foot climb up.  _Hmmmmm…Go toward the light…_

With a few grunts, Ian hauled himself out to the hole, using the vines that dangled into the well.  Swinging one long leg over the ledge, he climbed out into the open…and nearly fell back into the well.  His family's shrine was gone; the surroundings were foreign to him, with only the well and the large sacred tree familiar to Ian's eyes. The shrine had been replaced by a thick forest, with the well situated in a small clearing.  In the distance, Ian could see mountains, mountains very similar to ones that lay near Tokyo.  The air was filled with the songs of numerous birds, some Ian hadn't heard before. When he was finally out of the well, Ian sank to the grass, his legs giving way beneath him, the feeling of déjà vu washing over him.  He had seen this place before—in his dreams.

"Oh, my, God."  Ian's eyes kept darting around, half expecting to see a woman burst out of the forest into the small clearing, and nail him to the nearest tree.  Thankfully, she didn't show.

Unthankfully, someone else did.

"I see the spell worked; though it took you long enough to get here.  Baka human."

Standing, Ian turned around and stared wide-eyed at the source of the creaky voice—it was the creature he'd seen at the shrine complex.  "Who– What are you?" he asked, curiosity overcoming fear and confusion.

A humorless smile formed on its frog-like face.  Bowing slightly, "I am Jakken, loyal servant of the mighty demon lord, Sesshoumaru.  He has been searching for you for 50 years and he will be most pleased that I brought you here."  Jakken chuckled.  "Yes, most pleased."

"You brought me here?!" burst Ian.  He was starting to get angry—he'd been kidnapped by that little freak.  It was degrading.  Darting around the well, Ian lunged for Jakken, seizing the little youkai by the front of his robes.  Shaking Jakken hard enough to make his little froggy head snap back and forth, "You brought me here?!  Why?!" he demanded.  "Why, dammit?!  Where am I and how do I get back home?  And who's Ses—"

Jakken swung his staff at Ian's head; Ian stopped it in mid-swing and yanked it out of its owner's little hands.

"Give me that, you little yarou!" Chucking the youkai to the grass, Ian tightened his grip on the staff, "Tell me!" and firmly pressed his foot to Jakken's chest.

Squirming and squealing, "Get off of me!  When Sesshoumaru-sama—"

Fwak! Ian smacked him with the staff.  Shrugging mentally, he hit Jakken again, a little harder this time.  He couldn't think of any good reason to do it, but it felt really good nonetheless.  (A/N:  No, I don't hate Jakken.  I love the little %#*^.  Though, personally, I would've used a metal bat, but I doubt they have those in mass quantities in Feudal Japan. Shrugs Eh.  To each his own…)  "I don't give a shit Sessy guy—"

"Enough," a clear voice barked.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"  Jakken shoved Ian's foot off of himself and hurried to his master's side, practically clinging to him.  "I brought him here, just like you planned Sesshoumaru-sama."

_Well, isn't he just a little suck-up…_

The silver-maned man kept his yellow eyes fixed on Ian.  "As I knew you would Jakken."

Ian, still fuming, cocked his head, his brown eyes taking in the new arrival.  He would've mistaken him for a woman, what with the fine facial features, but the strong, quiet voice was definitely male.  A flowing white kimono was wrapped around his lean frame—_What is that white fluffy thing??? _(A/N:  Honestly, what is that thing?)—and a katana was strapped to his left side.  A delicate, clawed hand, marked with crimson streaks, brushed back a thick strand of silver hair behind a pointed ear.  The elegant gesture uncovered another pair of crimson streaks on his high cheekbones; on his forehead, he bore a blue crescent moon.  And his eyes…The baleful yellow eyes creeped Ian out.  That, and the moment that Sesshoumaru had issued his command, all the birds had fallen deathly silent.  _What's up with this guy?_

"So," Ian drawled, stuffing his discomfort into a dark corner of himself, "you're the one who wanted me here…"  He smirked, eyeing Sesshoumaru's clothing, "…_Fluffy_."

A small smile curled Sesshoumaru's lips.  A sudden blur and Ian found himself suspended in the air, Sesshoumaru's hand clamped around his throat.  "Even in this form you're still an insolent brat.  You never could show the proper respect to your older brother, Inuyasha."

Ian struggled against the vice grip around his neck, but he might as well try to get bribe money out of a politician's fist.  Gasping, "Inuyasha?  I think– I think you got the wrong guy."

The youkai lord ignored Ian's kicks.  "No.  This Sesshoumaru has the right person.  And it is quite entertaining to see you brought back as a human.  It seems your wish has been granted my dear half brother."  His smile grew and his hold on Ian tightened.  "And my wish is about to be fulfilled…"  Sesshoumaru's free hand came up to the teen's face, only a few inches away from his right eye,  "Once this Sesshoumaru retrieves what should have been his in the beginning—"

"Get away from him!!"  

A streak of light whizzed between Ian's and Sesshoumaru's faces.  Almost comically, the two swiveled their heads in unison to face the young woman who fired the arrow.

"That was just a warning shot.  The next one won't miss youkai!  So put the boy down!"

_Boy?!  Ian scowled._

Sesshoumaru didn't loosen his grip on Ian.  "What makes you think I would listen to you, little miko?"

The girl let loose another arrow—streaking past the youkai's temple, it severed a portion of silver hair from his head.  "Would you like another reason?..."  She grinned and nocked another arrow, this time aiming for Sesshoumaru's chest.

Ian landed hard on his rear.

"Don't think this Sesshoumaru has forgotten about you Inuyasha," he growled softly.  Then he turned and walked away.

Jakken scampered after him, not believing what was going on.  "Sesshoumaru-sama?  Sesshoumaru-sama?!  Wha– What are you doing?  You can easily destroy her!" he kept sputtering.

Ian had his own two cents to throw in as well.  "My name is Ian!!"  he shouted after the retreating figure.  Muttering, "Baka-yarou," he got to his feet, brushing the grass and dirt from his jeans.

"Ian, is it?  Are you all right?"

Now that he wasn't worried about having his head removed in a most unpleasant manner, Ian was able to take a closer look at the girl who had saved him.  _Not that I couldn't have handled it on my own…_  What he saw stunned him.  He'd seen pictures of what Kagome had looked like when she was his age and the girl standing before him might as well have been Kagome's clone—same waist-length ebony hair, same bangs hanging over the same big brown eyes, the same face, even her voice was the same.  Then he saw the miko fuku she was wearing.  _Is she– Is she the woman from my dream?...No.  She's too young._

"Are you all right?" she repeated, gently shaking his shoulder.

Still dazed, "K– Kagome-basan?"

She frowned.  "No. My name is Kimiko.  That youkai must have roughed you up more than I thought.  Come on.  I'll take you to see my grandmother—she's the priestess at my village."

Ian shook the haze from his mind.  "But I thought you were a priestess?"

It was Kimiko's turn to shake her head.  "No.  I'm just an apprentice." (A/N: Bear w/ me here folks—I don't know how that whole miko thing works, so I'll just make stuff up, 'cause it's MY story.  So there!)  She slung her bow over her shoulder, "And what's your story?  You certainly aren't from around here.  Not with clothes like that and if you're crazy enough to tick off every youkai you meet…"  Her hands reached out and she actually started playing with Ian's blond-tipped hair, one finger flicking at the earring dangling from his left ear.

_She even acts like Kagome, he thought with a small grin as he eased her curious hands away from his head.  "I wish I knew.  I fell through the well at my family's shrine and find myself here, where-ever, or whenever, this is.  And I didn't exactly believe in youkai before I came here…"_

"You didn't believe in youkai?  And you came through the Bone Eater's Well?" Kimiko blinked.  "I am definitely taking you to see Kikiyo-baasan!"  Without asking, she grabbed Ian's wrist and started to drag him with her.

At the mention of the name "Kikiyo," Ian's insides seized up, twisting into a fierce knot.  All rational thought ended and instinct took over.  He had to get away.  "No!"  He yanked his arm away from Kimiko and broke into a hard sprint into the forest.

"Hey!  What are you doing?!"

Though sprinting wasn't his best event, Ian still lost the girl within seconds as he darted through the trees.  Through the dim, twilight lit forest, he ran blindly, ignoring everything—the low-lying branches snapping into his face, cutting him, the thorny shrubs that he stumbled through, even as they snagged his jeans, ripped his shirt and drew blood from his body, along with the large rocks and boulders he ran into or tripped over.  Ian simply ran.  All he knew that he couldn't go to Kimiko's village and meet her grandmother.

"Oof!"

Ian's foot caught on an exposed root and he landed hard, skinning his palms and elbows.  The sudden pain brought his higher thought processes back online and he saw where he was.

"Kuso."

It was the sacred tree that had grown on the shrine complex for generations.  The ancient tree had never made him uncomfortable before—he enjoyed climbing it and balancing himself in its sturdy branches so he could take a nap—but now the sight of it triggered a deluge of emotions in Ian: anger, fear, betrayal, sadness.

"Here," he breathed.  Ian pressed his hand to his chest in a lame attempt to slow his heart, which felt like it was doing jumping jacks within his chest and was ready burst out to do even more gymnastic routines.  "It all happened here…"

Like the slide-show from hell, the nightmare that had kept waking him up flashed behind his eyes, unbidden and unwanted.  But the angle was all wrong—this time, Ian wasn't a participant, he was the observer…

A flash of red and silver sprinted through the forest, every-so-often leaping into the air above the highest trees, hanging in the night sky for so long that it appeared that he was flying.  The wind clutched at him, rippling his robe and blowing through his long hair, sending out silver wisps of hair behind him

"Inuyasha!"

The silver-haired youth skidded to a halt, happy expectation written all over his features.  It turned to shock when a streak of light impacted into his chest, pinning him to the sacred tree.  Again, Ian could feel the sting in his chest where the arrow had inserted itself, but this time it was much worse, almost like he was dying for real.

Clutching at his chest, Ian watched as Inuyasha struggled to remove the arrow.  Both he and hanyou cried out when Inuyasha's clawed hand grasped the bloody shaft and the arrow's enchantment kicked in, shocking him.

Rapidly fading, he reached out toward his attacker, "Ho– How could – you?  Ki– Kikiyo—"  His hand dropped limply to his side.  Inuyasha was dead

The miko stepped into the light, the longbow dragging heavily behind her.  She clutched at her side, which was bleeding profusely, staining her white robe crimson.  With tears slipping down her blood-stained face, "You shouldn't have done it, Inuyasha.  You shouldn't have done it," Kikiyo collapsed, unconscious.

Ian opened his eyes, ending the vision.

He was shaking.  _Would somebody please wake me up…_

He now could put a face and a name to the woman in his nightmare:  Kikiyo.  And she looked so much like Kagome…Granted, not a replica like Kimiko, but the resemblance was there, though the miko's face had slightly sterner features.

Blinking the wetness from his eyes, Ian wrapped his arms about himself—it wasn't everyday he witnessed himself die in a previous life.  And  he could still see Inuyasha hanging from the tree.  _So Sesshoumaru was right.  I am Inuyasha, only reborn. The evidence was right in front of him and it was undeniable.  Ignoring the hair and the ears, Ian and Inuyasha could very well pass as identical twins—the face, the build, even the voice inflections._

An ache in his chest tore Ian's eyes away from the tree.  Looking down, he saw a crimson blossom on his shirt, right where Inuyasha had been shot…

"Kuso…" repeated Ian.

Everything went black.

Notes from the author:

            Figured I could actually translate some the phrases I use…(in case you don't already know)

basan: aunt

baasan: grandmother

jiisan: grandfather

fuku: outfit, uniform

baka: I think we all know what this means…

kuso: same goes for this one…

yarou: bastard

baka-yarou: think about it…(Yes, I called Sesshoumaru a stupid bastard, meaning Ian has to be incredibly ballsy (or incredibly stupid) to call Sessy that, especially with that "Fluffy" comment.  Of course, the line between ballsy and stupid is practically nil…)

Oh!  Before I forget, I made it so the anons could submit reviews as well.  I love getting feedback from you guys!  And speaking of reviews…How's this fic going?  I apologize if this thing is a little melodramatic, but I felt that I couldn't write this fic with the "tongue-in-cheek"  (in other words, campy, not done seriously) style that some of the other Inuyasha fics are written in.  At least I'm putting in some smart-ass remarks in there!


	3. Harsh Reality

We're just gonna skip all that disclaimer/summary junk—I believe you readers are smart enough to know what's going on.  (I still want them reviews!)

**A Switch Of Fates**

**Chapter 3:  Harsh Reality**

            Kikiyo eased her age-worn body to the ground and crossed her legs.  Behind her, back inside her home, she could hear the boy—Kimiko had said his name was Ian—tossing and turning in his sleep, clutching at the blanket covering him, and every-so-often, a few words slipped past his lips.  The full moon had barely been peeking over the horizon when she and her granddaughter found the newcomer slumped against the sacred tree; now the moon was high overhead and he still wasn't awake.  During the entire time, he'd been plagued by nightmares—vivid ones, if his actions were any clue.

            _I wonder if he remembers?  She tilted her eyes upwards, focusing on the silver disk in the sky.  __Is he dreaming of that night?  Her face still toward the moon, Kikiyo remembered that night 50 years ago._

            The air was filled with smoke and terrified screams.

            "Inuyasha!"

            "Run!"

            "It's Inuyasha!"

            An explosion rippled through the air, coming from the Sanctuary of the Shikon no Tama.  Flaming debris rained down on neighboring homes and they were soon ablaze as well.  Over all the ruckus, Kikiyo could hear a laugh.

            _Inuyasha, her mind growled._

            The bundle cradled in her arms twitched.

            "O–onesema… " a tiny voice squeaked.  An equally tiny hand tightened its hold on Kikiyo's hand.  "Kikiyo-onesema?"

            "Shhhhh…Quiet."  She choked back a sob.  "Quiet, now.  Save your strength, little sister."  The miko stroked stray hairs away from the fragile, bloodied face and held Kaede closer.

            "Onesema—" The frail child went limp.

            "Kaede?  Kaede?!  Kami, no!"

            Feeding off the turmoil that boiled within her, Kikiyo stood and ran after Kaede's killer, ignoring all pain, physical and emotional.

            _You are going to pay for this Inuyahsa.  Her miko powers led her through the forest and she soon tracked down the thief._

            "Inuyasha!" she snapped, firing an arrow.  It lodged in his arm, forcing him to drop the Shikon no Tama.  Inuyasha yanked the arrow from his flesh and reached for the Jewel, prompting another shot from Kikiyo—this one went into the ground, just shy of his hand.  "How could you?  How could you do this—attack the village, steal the Jewel, kill my sister?  How?  You told me you wanted to become fully human, Inuyasha."

            The hanyou only laughed.  "And you believed that crap?" he sneered, baring his fangs.  "I was only using you to get close to the Jewel.  I never wanted to become a weak, pitiful human like you.  I intend to become a full youkai and then I can do as I please."  Inuyasha made another attempt to grab the Shikon no Tama and received an arrow to the shoulder for his actions.

            "I can't let you do that!"

            "Feh!  Who are you to stop me?  Look at you—you can hardly stand, much less fire that bow of yours."

            The tip of her arrow started to glow.  "I will stop you Inuyasha."

            Growling, "And I will be back for that Jewel, " he retreated into the shadows.

            _Not if I can help it…  Kikiyo retrieved the jewel and staggered after the hanyou, dripping blood all the way._

            His path forked after a ways, and after a moment or two of debate, she followed the left path.  Her intuition proved to be correct—there he was, gliding over the trees.  He landed when Kikiyo hollered his name, his face a little surprised to see her.  To say that Inuyasha looked shocked when her arrow pierced his heart and fastened him to the tree would be a severe understatement.

            "Ho–How could–you?" he gasped before he died.

            Her mission complete, Kikiyo dropped her bow and she soon followed it to the ground.

            A short cry come from the house at the same time Kikiyo's memories finished their playback.  _It would appear that he's finally awake._

            "You might as well come out and join me, now that you're up," the miko called out after a few moments.  A faint smile creased her face when she heard him grumble.  In a short time, he padded outside, barefoot and wrapped in a blanket.  "Go on, sit," motioned Kikiyo when he just stood there.  He immediately obeyed, sitting down a few feet away.

            The silence between them was almost painful.  It didn't take a genius to see how uncomfortable Ian was around the old miko.  And she had quickly noted that he sat well beyond her arm's reach.  Now he was sitting there, examining the grass, occasionally glaring at her from the corner of his eye.

            "What did you do to my clothes?" he suddenly demanded.

            "They were in no condition to be worn, so we cleaned them."

            "So where are they?"

            "Drying."

            She couldn't see it, but Ian rolled his eyes.  "And where's Kim—"

            "I sent her to spend the night with her uncle, so I could speak with you in private."

            More glaring from her guest.  Kikiyo was taken aback slightly by his eyes—when the fire light caught them just right, the gold striations seemed to shimmer.

            "You don't like me, do you Ian?"

            He muttered under his breath, something like: "How'd you guess?"

            _So much like him, it might as well be him…  "Its because you remember your life here, your life as Inuyasha."_

            His dark head jerked up in astonishment.  "How'd—"

            "You look so much like him," interrupted Kikiyo, "especially when he turned into a human during a new moon.  And I can see it in your eyes…"  She shifted positions so she was completely facing Ian.  "You've also been dreaming ever since we brought you here."

            Ian mirrored Kikiyo's movements, scowling and glaring at her.  The change in positions brought a change in his eyes—instead of just shimmering gold, they appeared to be a true yellow.  "Well, la-de-dah!  Do you know what my dreams were?  I dreamt about getting out of this screwed up place and getting myself home."  Narrowing his eyes, "Or are you gonna shoot me?"  He continued his rant when she arched a gray brow, "Yeah, I remember.  So you'll forgive me if I'm not overly fond of you."

            Kikiyo frowned.  _So much anger, though I really can't blame him.  "We'll get you home, tomorrow morning.  If the Bone Eater's Well brought you here, it should take you back."  She paused, waiting for the young man to start up on another rant; he only sat there, glowering at her, so she continued on another topic.  "Why was that taiyoukai after you, Ian?"_

            "The fuck if I know," came a throaty growl.

            "Master Sesshoumaru believes that you know where your father's grave is, Master Inuyasha."

            Ian glanced down, "Christ!  They're coming out of the wood work!" and promptly slammed his fist down, squashing the tiny flea youkai.  "And why does everybody insist on calling me Inuyasha?!"

            "That is who you are in this time."  Like a drunkard, the flea staggered back and forth, trying to put himself back together.

            "Feh!"  A thumb started creeping toward the semi-flattened youkai.  "And just who are you, since you seem to know so much about me?  Better talk fast…"

            He zipped away from the encroaching thumb of doom, perching himself on one of Kikiyo's knees.  "My name is Myouga, once and always loyal servant of your father, the great demon lord of the west la—"

            "My father is a computer programmer living in Seattle, not some dead youkai," snapped Ian, wishing he had a can a Raid.

            Myouga harrumphed, crossing his arms over his chest.  "Perhaps.  But that doesn't change the fact that Master Sesshoumaru believes you know the location of the grave."

            "What grave?  Look, flea boy, I just realized all this Inuyasha crap within the past hour or so.  I may not remember everything, but I certainly don't remember anything about a grave.  Why does Fluffy want to know anyway?  Does he want to leave some flowers or is he gonna tell him that he was a crappy father and spit on his tombstone?  Oh, wait, I know.  Fluffy's gonna apologize for being a crappy son and for dressing funny."

            Myouga opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, initially.  Then, "Not quite.  The grave of your—Inuyasha's—father is rumored to contain a great treasure, which is Inuyasha's inheritance.  Master Sesshoumaru is under the belief that the inheritance should be his."

            "Good for him," remarked Ian dryly.  He leaned forward and suddenly flicked Myouga off Kikiyo's knee.  "I've heard enough. I'm going back to bed."  He stood, "You know where to find me," and strode back into the house, without a backward glance.

            "OW!"  Ian slapped at the sting on his cheek that woke him up.  "You again!" he exclaimed when he saw who was flattened on his palm.  Scraping Myouga off his hand, "What was that for?"

            The youkai did a repeat of his drunken act.  "Its habit, forgive me, Master Inuya—"  Myouga halted when Ian gave him a sharp look.

            "Ian.  My name is Ian.  Try to remember that."

            "Ian.  Yes, yes, forgive me, Master Ian."  He jumped up on the now vacant pillow and settled down, sighing wistfully.  "Your blood even tastes like Master Inuyasha's—human, with a touch of demon."

            "Whatever."  Ian gave Myouga another flick.  Shaking his head, Ian pushed himself off the floor, throwing a glance outside.  It was morning and he could hear the village coming to life.  Beyond the village, Ian spotted the sunlight glistening off a small pond that had a short dock with a skiff tethered to it.  With a sudden, sharp intake of air, the teen forced his eyes shut, a flash of memory behind them: Inuyasha extending a hand to help Kikiyo out of the skiff, her smiling up at him in thanks.  She suddenly tripped, falling into his arms.  Looking up at him, Kikiyo's eyes were filled with wonder, as if she'd never seen him before.  Inuyasha tightened his grip on her, holding her against him in a warm emb—

           Ian shook his head, ending the memory.  "Dammit," he muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.  _And where the hell is she?  I'd like to go home—Kagome-basan is probably going out of her mind with worry._

            He stooped down and wrapped the blanket around his waist—it didn't matter what era it was, you simply didn't go prancing around in public in nothing more than your boxers.  Since his clothes weren't inside, Ian figured they were outside, perhaps hanging from a line.  Stepping outside, he bumped into Kimiko, who happened to be stepping in at the same time.

            "Oh! Ian! I'm–I'm sorry!  Forgive me!"  Finally noticing Ian's lack of dress, Kimiko's cheeks flushed—any girl would have to be blind, or stupid, to not say the young man was at least a half-way decent looking guy.  Lowering her eyes, she held up a small bundle to him, "Here.  Kikiyo-baasan said you wanted these back."

            A sharp retort formed on Ian's tongue, but he immediately bit it back.  _No. She has nothing to do with this.  She did nothing to you—no, to Inuyasha_, he quickly corrected his thought.  "Thanks," he said with a small smile—she looked kind of cute when she was blushing.  "Really didn't want to go parading around in my unmentionables."

            Kimiko's cheeks got a little redder and she put her back to Ian, fiddling with the sash that held her baggy pants up.  (A/N:  Does anyone know the "official" name for those things?)

            Once he had his jeans zipped back up, Ian unfolded his shirt and was surprised at what he saw.  _I coulda sworn I'd been…  The shirt was spotless, with only a few rips from being snagged by thorns—there was no hole in the chest.  __Oh, duh.  Big red truck. (A/N:  Inside joke—it comes from a blonde joke and it indicates a big, huge duh-ism)_ God, I'm an idiot._  The bloodstain hadn't been from a chest wound, it had been from his skinned palms grabbing his shirt when his heart had been performing a gold medal gymnastics routine.  _Duh.__

            "I'm decent now," he called out when he slipped the shirt on.  "Do you know where your grandmother is?"  In reality, Ian would rather have gone to the well by himself, but he had no clue where it was.

            The apprentice miko failed to notice his tone of voice when he mentioned her grandmother.  "Kikiyo-baasan said she'd meet us at the Bone Eater's Well."

            "Good."  He tugged on his Nikes and followed the girl.

            Though it was still fairly early, and despite the rapid pace Kimiko set, Ian received a number of wide-eyed stares from the villagers.  He could hear them wondering about the strange boy with strange hair and strange clothing who walked with the miko's young apprentice.  _Feh!  Like it matters, Ian shrugged their gossiping off.  __I'm going to be home, in my own time, within an hour._

            As it turned out, the well was close to the village—a 15 minute walk, tops.  The walk flew by, with Kimiko constantly asking him about Ian's home.  He gladly answered all her questions as best as he could, enjoying her curiosity and her reaction when he mentioned airplanes.

            "A metal bird that isn't a bird and can fly without flapping its wings?  You're making this up."

            Ian shrugged.  How could he explain the Bernoulli Effect to someone who'd never even heard of Newton? "No!  Really!  I'm not joking!"

            She only giggled and lightly smacked his shoulder.  "Well, I think you are…  Maybe I could come with you and you could show me all these wonders of your time.  It might be fun!"  She suddenly jumped in front of him, and standing on her tiptoes, she gave Ian a quick peck on the cheek and darted away before he could say anything.

            Ian stood there in the middle of the path, a little surprised, his eyebrows practically reaching the thermosphere.  "…Was it something I said?"

            Kikiyo appeared to be meditating when Ian finally caught up with Kimiko at the well.  "Ready to go home, Ian?" she asked when he stepped foot into the clearing.  Opening her eyes, she slowly stood, a few of her joints creaking with the effort.

            For the first time, he gave Kikiyo a smile—he was glad to be going home.  "Definitely."  Approaching the well, he glanced down, a little hesitant.  _Fifteen foot drop.  Might hurt._  "So…all I do is jump, right?"

            The miko nodded.  "The gate to your time is at the bottom of the well."

            "All right…"  He swung one leg over the ledge and then halted.  "Wait.  What's to prevent that little Jakken freak, or even Sesshoumaru, from coming through again, and attacking me in my time?"

            "If Sesshoumaru could pass through the well, he would have, instead of sending that imp of his.  I think Sesshoumaru is too powerful of a youkai and the well won't let him through.  As for Jakken, a few sutras placed at both ends of the gate should stop him."

            A sigh of relief issued out of Ian.  "Good.  That's a few less things for me to worry about…"  Another hesitation—this time he wasn't sure how to say good-bye.

            Kimiko solved that problem.  "Take care and we'll do the same," she smiled sadly and gave Ian a slight push.

            "Hey!"  _At least this is ov—_

            The two women cringed when they heard a solid "thud!" that was followed by a solid string of colorful words.  Peering into the well, they saw a rather displeased 17 year old boy scowling up at them, rubbing a bump to his head.

            "I don't think it worked."


	4. The Rebirth

Disclaimer:  I don't own!!  breaks down in tears

Summary:  Let's put it this way folks—poop hits industrial-sized fan in this chapter

Rating:  uhhhh, think I'll stick w/ PG (language and blood n guts)

**A Switch In Fates**

**Chapter 4:  The Rebirth…**

            "All I gotta do is jump…The gate's at the bottom…Feh!"

            Ian had been pacing around the well, ranting and raving, his hands moving erratically, for the past 15 minutes.  Kikiyo sat in silence, letting him work the frustration out of his system.  Kimiko, on the other hand, stared up at him in amazement, not understanding why he was this worked up over the matter.  She wanted to comfort him, get him to settle down, but nothing short of a sharp blow to the back of the head would get Ian to quiet down.

            "Shimatta!"  The boy pivoted and gave the well a swift kick before storming out of the clearing.

            Kimiko glanced over at her grandmother—Kikiyo remained seated, her eyes closed in contemplation—and scrambled to her feet, following Ian into the forest.

            He was still fuming when she found him.  "Ian?" asked Kimiko quietly after she heard him mutter "imp" and "lighter fluid."

            Coming to a halt, Ian quit ranting and fixed his glare on her.  "What?" he snapped.

            "D–do you want to–to talk about it?" she faltered.  His glare was making her uncomfortable:  in his anger, Ian's warm brown eyes had turned an inhumanly intense golden yellow.

"No."  Ian put his back to the girl.

Moving toward him, "Are you sure?  Maybe you should give the Well another try," she placed her hand on his tense shoulder.  "You want to go home, I can understand—"

Ian jerked his shoulder away and refixed his angry gaze on Kimiko.  "Really?  So you've fallen through a well to the past, found out that you're the reincarnation of a hanyou, and then met the woman who killed you for no good reason?  I guess I shouldn't feel so alone now…"

Stunned, Kimiko stared wide-eyed up at Ian, "You- you're the reincarnation of—"  She tore her eyes away from the boy in front of her, unable to finish her sentence.

"Oh, yeah.  I was real thrilled too when I found out who I was," Ian replied, every word drowning in sarcasm.  "I'm surprised your dear Kikiyo-baasan hasn't told you about me and Inuyasha.  I mean, she must be so proud of what she did to him 50 years ago.  And I bet she can't wait to fire a couple arrows int—"

The open palm of Kimiko's hand connecting with Ian's face silenced him.

It was his turn to be stunned as he blinked at the shaking girl.  "What the hell—"

"Shut-up!  Just shut-up!  You have no right to speak about her that way, not after what you did!"

"What I did?!" Ian yelled back.  "Inuyasha did nothing to deserve what he got, unless simply being was a good enough reason for Kikiyo to kill him."

"Did nothing?"  A bitter laugh burst out of the young miko apprentice.  "You must not have remembered everything about your life here.  Otherwise you'd remember attacking the village," she shoved Ian back, "injuring my grandmother," another shove, "stealing the Shikon no Tama," shove, "and killing Kaede, Grandmother's little sister!"  She gave him one last push and he fell.  "I'd say those are pretty good reasons to kill you."

The yellow in Ian's eyes faded as his anger was replaced by horror and confusion.  _I don't remember that.  Did he—?  He couldn't—_

"Ever since I was a little girl, ever since I first heard the stories about what you did," Kimiko stood over Ian, her shaking fists clenched at her sides, "I hated you and hoped and prayed your soul was burning in hell.  But here you are!  And you're living a good life, with a mother and father.  You don't deserve—"

"Kimiko!"

Kimiko flinched at the sound of Kikiyo's sharp voice.  "Grandmother!  I—"

"Had no reason to treat our guest that way," finished Kikiyo as she moved over to Ian, who was still on the ground, and rested a hand on his shoulder.  Strangely, he allowed it.  "Your anger is misplaced, Granddaughter.  Ian may have Inuyasha's soul within him, but he is not Inuyasha, and is not responsible for what happened 50 years ago.  Of all people, I should bear a grudge against him, but I do not—Ian is a different person and didn't deserve to be treated in the manner you acted."

The ground suddenly seemed very interesting and Kimiko kicked her toe at it.  "…"

            "Its…Its okay," Ian piped up, breaking the silence as he stood.  "I can understand why she's pissed at me."  He shot the miko a look as he briskly removed her hand from his shoulder.  "Though that doesn't mean I believe that Inuyasha did all those things and that I like you…"

            A corner of her mouth curled up and she nodded.  The smile suddenly disappeared.  "Do you feel it Kimiko?"

            She nodded and readied her bow at the same time as her grandmother did. "A youkai.  Very powerful…"

            "Is it—?" Ian stiffened, his eyes nervously searching the woods.

            "Sesshoumaru?  I think so."  Kimiko positioned herself so Ian was between her and Kikiyo.  "It feels the same."

            "I suppose it's too late to make a run for it?"

            "Yes," the two women chimed.

            _Damn…_  "Maybe for you."  Ian darted away, sprinting as fast as he could for the Bone Eater's Well.  _I'm not dragging those two into this._  The other two wouldn't have made it, but he knew he could.  He had to.  And the gate at the bottom of the well would be open.  _It better be, or I'm dead meat…Almost there.  A silver streak to his left made him falter for a moment, but he didn't slow; instead, he tapped his reserves and surged forward._

            Ian almost made it too.

            A long arm came from behind and snaked around his neck, bringing him to a sudden halt.

            "For a human," a calm voice tickled Ian's ear, "you're quite fast.  If I didn't know better, I would say you were part youkai."

            _Sesshoumaru._  Ian strained against the hold around his neck, "Fluffy, long time, no see man…"  He gritted his teeth when the hold tightened, pulling him closer against the youkai and pressing down on his windpipe.

            "You may not truly be that worthless half-breed, but you are certainly as uncouth as him."

            "Just kill him and be done with him, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

            Ian's foot lashed out and connected with Jakken's head, knocking him to the ground. (A/N:  Hey!  Ian knows "Tae Kwan Leep"!  Boot to the head!)

            "Ian!"  Kimiko, followed closely by Kikiyo, burst into the opening.  The moment they saw Sesshoumaru, they skidded to a halt, unsure of what to do.

            _He's distracted dummy!  Do something!_  Shifting his hips, Ian wrapped his hands around Sesshoumaru's arm and threw him as hard as he could.  The surprise written on everyone's face was clear when it worked, but none more than on Sesshoumaru's when he gracefully landed on his feet a short distance away.

            "Its called "Judo"," Ian said with a smirk and then bolted for the Well.

            "That wouldn't be advisable…"

            The teen froze, about ready to drop into the Well, when he saw Kikiyo, knocked to the ground, unconscious, and Kimiko struggling against Sesshoumaru's hand fastened around her throat.

            "…unless you wish these two dead."

            "No, Ian!  Don't do—"  Kimiko cried out when the youkai's grip tightened.  As she gasped for breath, her eyes urged Ian to go, to forget about her and Kikiyo, but he couldn't do it.

            "What do you want with me?" he asked the moment his feet touched the grass.

            In a blink, the youkai was on top of him, a clawed hand hoisting him into the air.  "Only this."  Two taloned fingers came up to Ian's right eye…

            Kikiyo woke up to Ian screaming in agony.  Through the gray strands of hair that fell over her eyes, she looked on in astonishment at the scene before her:  a glow coming from Sesshoumaru's finger tips, connecting with Ian's right eye.  The fingers were drawn back, pulling something out of the boy's eye.  Like so much garbage, the silver-haired youkai tossed Ian aside, clenching his prize in his hand.

            On the ground, Ian was pressing his palm to his eye, blood leaking out from under it, and swearing up a storm.

            Jakken scampered toward his lord, holding up his staff.  "Do you have it, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

            Taking the staff from the imp, he brought up his hand, revealing a black pearl gripped between his second and third fingers.

            "That is what this is all about?!" a snarl rumbled at the youkai's feet. Jakken even took a step away upon hearing Ian's tone—the last time he'd heard that tone, his head had doubled as a croquet ball.  "A freakin' marble?!?"

            Arching a brow, Sesshoumaru glanced down his nose at the human laying at his feet, "This pearl is not a "marble"; it is the grave of my, and that worthless whelp's, father.  I suspected that hanyou knew of its location, but he had to go and get himself killed.  A pity that was.  But, as fate would have it, my dear reincarnated brother, you carried the grave with you.  Until I retrieved it.  Now, leave, boy—you annoy me."

            _A grave?__  Within a pearl?_ Ian wondered as he struggled to stand—he was still weak from whatever Sesshoumaru had done to his eye—and stared down at his hand when he removed it from his face.  It was covered in blood.  He knew he looked a mess: he could feel the blood trickling down his cheek and could see it when it dripped from his jaw line, staining his shirt.

            "And now, after all these years…"

            The youkai lord slammed the staff's tip against the black pearl.  A wave of energy burst from the pearl, knocking Ian back down, even Kikiyo and Kimiko, who were a good 15 feet away, were forced down.  Mortal and youkai watched as the pearl disappeared, to be replaced by a swirling black portal.  When the gusts of wind died down, they saw that Sesshoumaru and Jakken were gone as well.

            "Good riddance," Ian growled, wiping the blood from his face.

            "Wait!  You're not going to let Master Sesshoumaru take your inheritance?"

            Out of instinct, Ian slapped at the source of the voice.  "What makes you think I care?" he asked as Myouga pried himself off of Ian's hand.

            "But—"

            "It's not my inheritance, its Inuyasha's and I'm not him.  Let Fluffy be a grave robber for all I care."

            "But," Myouga leapt from Ian's hand to his nose, forcing the boy to go cross-eyed, "the grave was hidden within you.  Why else would it be there if you weren't meant to have what's in it?"

            "Myouga has a point."

            Ian looked over his shoulder—Kikiyo was limping toward them, with some assistance from Kimiko.  He'd nearly forgotten about them.

            "Really?"  _Rats.  I'm not going to win this one, am I?_

            "Yes.  It seems Inuyasha's legacy has passed onto you, Ian."  Kikiyo ignored Ian's cringe and continued, finally standing on her own, "And if Sesshoumaru has been searching for his father's grave for over 50 years, something very important and very powerful must be hidden in the grave.  You can't allow him to have it."

            He cast a doubtful glance toward the vortex.  "I don't know…  How am I going to stop him?  With witty banter?"

            "You have Inuyasha's spirit; you share his tenacity.  You'll find a way."

            _Ooooooo.__  Tenacity.  There's a secret weapon.  "Fine. I'll—  Where's Kimiko?"_

            "Are you just going to stand there and talk, or are you actually going to do something?" the girl shouted before she jumped into the vortex.

            _Oh, yeah, like I gotta choice now…_  Ian jumped into the portal after her.

            The two teenagers landed in a heap, a tangle of arms and legs.  With a grunt, Kimiko shoved Ian off of her and stood, brushing herself off.

            Getting to his feet as well, "Not that I don't appreciate your help, but—"

            "Who said anything about helping you?" snipped Kimiko.  "I'm doing this for myself, and to get even with that youkai for hurting Kikiyo-baasan."

            "You're most welcome to try," Sesshoumaru's voice floated over to them, "though you will not succeed against this Sesshoumaru."

            "The sword, Master Ian!  Get the sword!"  Myouga suddenly whispered into Ian's ear.

            Ian started, more surprised at Myouga's appearance than at Sesshoumaru's presence.  "What sword?"  His eyes scanned over his new surroundings, which had to be the tomb of Inuyasha's father.  The floor which they were standing upon seemed to be nothing but the bones of countless individuals, and the walls resembled a rib cage and a spinal column…  _O-kaaayy…_  Ten feet away, stood the dog youkai, looking rather displeased with the new arrivals and to his side, a rust-stained sword was plunged into a platform.  "That sword??  That piece of crap?  You're joking, right?"

            "No!  It's the Tetsusaiga!  The Master's most powerful weapon!"  Myouga peeked out from behind Ian's neck, "You couldn't pull it out, could you, Master Sesshoumaru?!  That means the Tetsusaiga is not meant for you!"

            Sesshoumaru clasped his hands in front of him, hiding them within the billowy sleeves of is kimono.  "And are you suggesting my father's weapon is meant for this boy?" he scoffed.  "This Sesshoumaru would like to see him try.  It might prove to be amusing."

            Myouga began to bounce up and down on Ian's shoulder.  "Go on!  Take it!  Take what is yours!"

            The teenager hesitated, eyeing the youkai and the sword, "What's mine, huh?"  A grin suddenly appeared on his face.  "You know, I think I will…"  He stepped onto the platform, his grin widening when he faced Sesshoumaru, "Because that would piss you off, wouldn't it Fluffy?  Oh, yeah.  It would.  A puny human taking something you couldn't.  Makes me wish I had a camera for this."  He flexed his fingers, cracking the joints and he wrapped his hand around the Tetsusaiga's handle and a light shot out from where sword met platform.  Ian put everything he had into it, pulling on the sword.  Just when he thought he had it, the light died and the Tetsusaiga was still stubbornly driven into the platform.  _Oh, shit.  "Myouga…"  _

            Myouga was nowhere to be found.

            Shrugging sheepishly, "Oh, well.  Guess I'm not supposed to have it.  Guess I'll go now…" Ian made a move toward the portal.

            "No."  Sesshoumaru backhanded Ian, drawing blood and knocking him down.  "This Sesshoumaru is putting an end to your insolence."  Pinning the boy against the platform, he drew back one hand, and flexed his fingers, cracking his joints.  A green mist formed around his hand and it shot forward, right for Ian's face.  It screeched to a halt when an arrow found itself  driven right through it.

            "Forgetting about someone, youkai?" Kimiko readied another shot.

            "Pest," growled Sesshoumaru.  He abandoned his assault on Ian and went after Kimiko—as far as he saw it, she was the only one who had a chance to hurt him.  It was a minute chance, but it was enough to annoy him.

            Ian used the wall to prop himself up.  He was still dazed from Sesshoumaru's blow, but he could feel the blood trickling out of the cuts on his cheeks—Sesshoumaru's talons—and could hear Kimiko shrieking in the background.  _No…Not Kimiko.  He stumbled forward, in an attempt to distract the youkai.  Slipping past the Tetsusaiga, his hand brushed against.  The Tetsusaiga fell free with a clatter._

            Sesshoumaru froze.  Kimiko and Ian stared down at the sword on the platform.  Jakken kept trying to speak, but he was too astonished to do so.

            _Take it!!!_  All haze left Ian's brain and he snatched up the blade, making a break for the portal.  Sesshoumaru intercepted him, reaching for the sword.  Kimiko shook off her attack and fired another arrow; it connected, shattering the breast plate of the demon's armor.  The attack served its purpose—Sesshoumaru was distracted long enough for Ian to dart away and dive through the portal, dragging Kimiko with him.

            Ian was on his feet the second he exited the portal, "Run, Kikiyo!  Get out of here!  Now!" he hollered, still pulling Kimiko with him.

            The girl understood the reason for his urgency and grabbed Kikiyo, guiding her away from the clearing.  Nobody wanted to be there when Sesshoumaru came back, but the taiyoukai was too fast for them. He sprung up in front of them, blocking their way.  Ian promptly pushed Kikiyo and her granddaughter behind him, pointing the Tetsusaiga at Sesshoumaru.

            "This Sesshoumaru's patience is wearing thin, boy," he said quietly, a slight growl coloring the last word.  "Give me the Tetsusaiga, or…"  His knuckles cracked when he flexed them—the threat was quite clear.

            Ian returned Sesshoumaru's growl, "No.  The Tetsusaiga is not yours and I will not give it to you."  He brought the blade up to shoulder level, holding it parallel to the ground, indicating his intent to charge.  "And I will not allow you to threaten me, these two, or anyone else."

            He almost dropped the sword when it started to pulse in his grip.

            "What the—"

A burst of white light issued from the Tetsusaiga, forcing all onlookers to look away, or close their eyes.

            When Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, he blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things. 

The mortal who called himself Ian was gone.  In his place, stood Inuyasha.  

I whole-heartily apologize for taking sooo long to update—I hit a Hoover Dam sized writing block for this and the next chapter.  You should at least be thankful that I submitted the rest of the fic—I could've been a real bastard and let you hang and wait till I put the following chappies up.  And here's the language lesson of the day kids:  shimatta = dammit


	5. The Revival

I already know that I don't own Inuyasha!!  Why must you people rub it in??

Summary:  Part 2 of "Poop Hitting Fan"                    Rating: Yeah, let's put it around PG and PG-13, for blood 'n stuff

A/N:  I was originally going to leave this attached to chapter 4, but for the sake of shortening chapters and to give the story a bit more of a dramatic flair, it became (ta-da!) chapter 5.  Enjoy kiddies!

**A Switch In Fates**

**Chapter 5: The Revival…**

"No…It can't be…" Kikiyo's trembling hand covered her open mouth as she stumbled backwards and tripped, falling to the ground.  "Inu-Inuyasha?"

Kimiko didn't notice—her eyes were totally focused on what used to be Ian.

Jakken's lower jaw reached new depths as he stared at the form standing in front of his master.

Sesshoumaru had to blink again—he was so sure that his eyes were playing tricks on him.  But the person in front of him was Inuyasha and he had somehow managed to call forth the Tetsusaiga's true form.  _No_, his mind snarled when the boy's scent reached his nose—it was still Ian, but then again, not.  _Somehow the hanyou's spirit has come to the surface, transformed him._

It was true—the Tetsusaiga wasn't the only one to have gone through a physical alteration.  The dark-haired young man was gone and in his place stood someone who bore a strong resemblance to the half demon of legend.  Thick silver hair, streaked with black, fell past his shoulders.  Keen golden eyes with vertical pupils glared out from shaggy silver bangs.  Claws, just like Sesshoumaru's, tipped each of the fingers wrapped around the Fang's handle.  A pair of triangle-shaped ears were perched on the top of his crown and the left one even had a gold hoop dangling from it.  And amazingly, all scratches and injuries he had sustained earlier were gone.

The portal the two humans and two youkai had passed through earlier collapsed onto itself; the black pearl hovered in the air for a moment, than streaked over to Ian.  With a small burst of light, it reclaimed its place within his right eye.  Ian only rubbed his eye and smiled at Sesshoumaru.

            "Seems everything is back in their proper place."  He glanced at the two women, "You two better clear out of here."  Ian suddenly grinned, baring a set of fangs.  "It might get a little messy…"  With the last two words, his eyes went back to the taiyoukai.

            Sesshoumaru's calm, indifferent air failed to convey the raging turmoil within him.  He should have been the one to pull the Tetsusaiga out, he should have been the one to wield the sword, he should have been the one to tap the power of his father's blade, not this…this…  Sesshoumaru couldn't find a word or phrase that could describe the being in front of him.  The boy's human stench still filled the taiyoukai's nostrils, but the scent of that blasted hanyou was now filtering in.  It looked like Inuyasha, but the mortal's original features still shown through.  _Freak_, suddenly popped into his mind.  _Yes, freak.  Not human, nor hanyou, nor youkai.  It doesn't belong here, and the Tetsusaiga doesn't belong to it._

            "You've had your fun, boy.  The sword.  Now.  Before you hurt yourself."  Sesshoumaru was getting rather tired of repeating himself.

            Ian appeared to ignore him, fascinated by the huge sword in his hands.  "Hm?" he quirked a brow up toward the demon.  "Oh, my fun is juuust starting Fluffy-boy."  A clawed thumb ran along the blade's edge, testing it.

            _Strange.  He seems to be more entranced by the Tetsusaiga's transformation than his own.  Could it be that he doesn't realize what's happened to him?_  A corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth twitched up.  _Then perhaps he doesn't know what he's capable of…_  "Indeed."  A flash of satisfaction rippled through the Lord of the Western Lands when Ian fell back a step when Sesshoumaru's eyes became blood red.  More satisfaction came as Ian continued to stagger back as Sesshoumaru's human form distorted with a sickening cracking and shifting of bones; within moments, Sesshoumaru's true form, an enormous silver dog, was snarling down at Ian.

            _Uh-oh…This ain't good…_Ian's brain grumbled as he leapt away from the youkai's snapping jaws.  He failed to notice the height and distance he managed to cover with that one leap.  "Is that the best you can do?" Ian shouted, lunging for the over-sized mutt, Tetsusaiga swinging.

            Sesshoumaru shifted to the side, avoiding the blade, and a paw shot out, knocking Ian to the grass and pinning him there.  A shout came from across the clearing where the two women stood as the Fang flew from Ian's hand and drove itself into the ground; a hiss of smoke came from the sword and drifted away, revealing its original form of a rusted, knicked sword.  Something akin to a smirk came to the dog demon's face when he looked down at Ian struggling beneath his foot and he pressed harder, smashing the young man further into the ground and drawing blood with his claws.  Pleased at the sight, his head ducked down, jaws closing around Ian's shoulders and cruelly yanked him out from under his paw.  Biting down, the taste of Ian's blood filled his mouth.  With a fierce shake of his silver head, Sesshoumaru tossed the boy to the ground; Ian didn't move, and only bloodied the surrounding grass.  _Yes, you pathetic whelp, this Sesshoumaru can do better._  Slavering, the taiyoukai slunk towards the unconscious young man, ready to deliver the killing bite.

            A streak of light imbedded itself into Seshoumaru's shoulder and another found itself a few inches away; the arrows stung, but they didn't impede any of his movements—they were just a minor annoyance.  He jerked them out with his teeth and turned his attention onto the two insects that were stupid enough to believe that they could hurt him.  _Kill the wenches first, let the boy see their shredded bodies, and then kill the boy._  The two mikos retreated slightly and loosed their arrows, all of them finding their mark, but none causing any substantial damage on the charging demon.  Sesshoumaru was almost on top of them, when…

            "Hey!  Fluffy!"

            Sesshoumaru skidded to a halt, his great head swinging around to glare over his shoulder.  Ian had regained consciousness and was slowly getting to his unsteady feet, spitting out blood and grinning that infuriating grin of his.

            "I'm the one you want, you over-grown Chihuahua on steroids!"  Ian forced himself to move over to the Tetsusaiga and wrapped his fingers around the handle and tugged the sword free.  It immediately transformed into the Fang as Ian yelled, "I'm sick and tired of you utilizing "Operation: Human Shield!"  It may have worked before, but not this time!"  Ignoring all of his injuries and moving at speeds that weren't humanly possible, he dashed across the clearing; Sesshoumaru found himself unable to move away in time when the boy jumped into the air, the Fang appearing to trail white flames as it trailed along his front left limb.  The youkai could feel the blade's heat all the way to the very core of his being as it cleanly severed the limb from his body.

            Sesshoumaru howled in pain as his front half hit the ground in a puddle of his own blackish-red blood.

            Smirking, "You've been a baaaad doggy," Ian pulled the Fang back for another blow, one that could prove to be fatal for the taiyoukai.

            Sesshoumaru was a proud youkai, but he was also a smart one—he knew when he was beaten and when to run.  Which is what he did:  he pulled away from the altered image of his half brother, and melted into himself, forming a glowing silver-blue orb that sped off into the horizon.

His heart and breath slowing and with a cocky smirk on his face, Ian propped the Fang back onto his shoulder, ready to let loose another cocky remark, but he stopped when he spotted movement scuttling through the brush.  The smirk turned sadistic when he saw who it was.

            "And just where do you think you're going?"  His clawed hand plunged into the bushes and pulled out a struggling Jakken by the back of his robes.  "It's really rude to leave without saying good-bye, you know…"

            "Let me go!  Worthless hanyou!"  Again, Jakken swung his staff at Ian's head, but a quick swing of the sword parried the blow.  (A/N: Jakken learns slow, doesn't he?)

            "Let you go, huh?  Sure.  No problem."  Ian proceeded to toss the imp up into the air and took the handle of the sword in both hands.  When gravity's effect had pulled Jakken down far enough, Ian swung.  The flat of the blade caught Jakken in the belly and sent him flying into the air with all the aerodynamic grace of a brick.  Shielding his eyes, Ian watched the imp flail through the air, and finally, land hard a good quarter mile away.  _Home run, baby._  Giving the Tetsusaiga another test swing, "I think I could get to like this thing," he turned to face the two women.  The smile on his face disappeared when he saw their wide-eyed expressions.  "What?  What's wrong?  Am I growing a third eye?  What?"

            Kimiko was the first to find her voice.  Motioning to her face, "You might want to take a look at yourself."

            "Why?" he demanded, a confused frown marring his face.  "Did I get that beat up?"

            "Ian, just do it," Kikiyo ordered quietly.

            With a shrug, Ian looked into the blade of the Fang, the nearest reflective surface.

            Back in the village, where nobody knew what had happened a short distance away, all activity momentarily froze when a startled howl wafted over from the direction of the Bone Eater's Well.

            The Fang dropped heavily to the grass and it reverted back to a worthless-looking piece of metal.

           "Wha- What happened?!" cried Ian as he gaped at his now clawed fingers.  "What the freakin' hell happened?!?  I- I can't go home like this!!"  He tugged at a thick length of his silver hair as if he wanted to pull out from his head.  "My mom is going to have a heart attack and then she's going to kill me!!"  Sinking to the ground, he buried his face in his hands, "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!  Somebody please tell me they know how to get me back to normal!"  One of Ian's hands slid up from his face to the top of his head, "Oh, God…" he moaned when he discovered the ears perched up there.

            Kikiyo sank to her knees, placing herself in front of Ian; not thinking, she reached out and ran her fingers through a portion of his silver hair.  Kimiko remained where she was, filled with doubt, unsure of what to do.  Only moments ago, when Ian had saved them, he'd been highly confident, as if the world belonged to him, and now he was on the ground, almost near hysterics.  And the fear in his golden eyes was blatantly obvious.  Evidently, the old miko saw the fear in Ian's eyes as well, and wrapped her arms around the boy, cradling his silver-maned head against her shoulder.

            "Shhhhh," she cooed.  "We'll find a way…We'll find a way, Ian."

            Tearing her eyes away from the scene playing in front of her, Kimiko looked down at the Tetsusaiga and was surprised to find a battered, black scabbard now lay next to it.  _Where did that come from?  She picked up the sword and sheath, afraid the two would crumble in her hands.  Examining the rust-spotted blade, _Incredible.  This hunk of junk defeated Sesshoumaru._  She glanced back at Ian, who was now hiding his fear behind anger as he chewed Myouga out for not warning him about the Tetsusaiga.  __Wait.  The Tetsusaiga and Ian transformed at the same time.  The Fang is gone now, but why has Ian not gone back to normal?_

            "How was I supposed to know that by bringing forth the Fang, that you would also bring forth Master Inuyasha's powers?" the little flea sputtered.  "I have never seen anything like this before, so I have no solution for it."

            "What?!  You mean I'm stuck like this?!"  He reached out to squash Myouga, but stopped when Kimiko eased herself down next to him, holding out the Tetsusaiga and the sheath to him.  "Where did you get that?" he asked, indicating the sheath.

            Shrugging, "It just appeared.  They look like they belong together."

            "Great," he grumbled, taking the two items from Kimiko.  "Just one more thing for me to take care of.  And it figures, too," he turned his nose up as he eyed the scabbard, "crappy looking sheath for a crappy looking sword."  Ian punctuated the end of his muttering by slipping the Tetsusaiga into the sheath.  Laying the sword across his lap, he noted the other three staring at him.  "Now what?" he asked, exasperated.  "Am I growing a tail too?  Because that would make my day soooo mu—"

            Kikiyo took Ian's hand and held it up for him to see.  He jerked it away from her, not believing what he saw:  his hand, correction, hands, were back to normal.  In fact, everything was back to normal—his hair, his eyes, everything.  Ian let out a relieved sigh when his hands shot up to his ears and found them in their proper place.  The most amazing part was that all of the injuries from his fight with Sesshoumaru were gone.

            "Hmmmmmm, it's just as I suspected," Myouga mused, crossing his arms over his chest, nodding to himself.  "The power of Tetsusaiga brought out the power sleeping within you.  By sheathing the sword, you contain the sword's power and thus your hidden power returns to dormancy.  Yes, just as I suspected."

            "Did you now?"  The little youkai found himself airborne again.  Looking past Kikiyo and Kimiko, Ian's eyes settled on the Bone Eater's Well.

            "Willing to give it another try?"

            Nodding, he slowly got to his feet; he fully expected to be weakened from his experience, but he felt completely invigorated.  "Compared to what I just went through," he answered, turning his hands this way and that, as if he couldn't believe he was back to normal, "a 15 foot drop is going to be a walk in the park."  _But it's still going to hurt._

            It was a repeat of earlier that morning:  the three of them gathered around the Well, an awkward silence filling the air.

            Ian grinned up at Kimiko, "Want to push me in again?  I know you'd enjoy it."

            "I'd enjoy it too much, though I wouldn't mind seeing you hurt yourself on you own…"

            "Ouch."  His grin faded when he faced Kikiyo, "And you're going to make sure that no other youkai pop through the Well, right?  I doubt my aunt would be overly thrilled with all the unexpected guests."

            She responded with a simple dip of her head.

            Not one for good-byes, Ian gave them a smile, tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga—no way was he leaving that behind for Sesshoumaru—and jumped.  The threat of another hard landing went unfulfilled—a soft glow enveloped him and he landed gently on the well's bottom.

            "Did it work this time?" he shouted.

            No one answered.

            Above the well's opening, he could see wood rafters and could hear the distant whine of traffic.

            "Yes!!"

            Ian was back in his own time.


	6. And the Return

Well, here's the good news and the bad news:  you've reached the last chapter and it's a short one.

Disclaimer:  yeah, yeah, don't own.  grumbles

**A Switch In Fates**

**Chapter 6: And the Return**

            Ian's elation quickly died when he realized one thing:  _How the hell am I gonna get out of here?  In this time, there were no vines to assist in climbing and the walls of the well had been worn smooth over the centuries.  He sincerely doubted that Kagome and Jiisan would hear him if he hollered all day.  Ian would have to get out on his own._

            A side wards glance at the Tetsusaiga clutched in his hand and a lazy grin spread across Ian's face.  _Maybe…_

            It took nearly 10 minutes, but, using the sword as a pick, Ian hauled himself out of the well.  Without pausing to rest, Ian bolted up the steps, out of the shed, across the shrine complex, and into the house.

            "Jiisan!  Kagome-basan!  I'm back!"

            He heard his aunt shriek and it was followed by the knocking over of chairs and the pounding of feet.

            "Ienobu!"  Tears streaking down her face, she swept her nephew up in an embrace.

            "…and that's how I got this sword, the Tetsusaiga," Ian finished, his hand caressing the aged sheath.

            "Amazing," breathed Kagome.

            Jiisan frowned, eyeing the sheathed sword with suspicion.  "You're sure that it's not evil?  Because if it is…"  He waved a few sutras in the air.

            Ian laughed, waving him off, "If it was evil, it wouldn't have saved my butt."

            The ancient priest continued to frown.  "My great-grandson…the reincarnation of a half demon…"  He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then pushed away form the kitchen table.  "I think I'm going to…to go pray now."  He scurried out of the house faster than a man his age should.

            "So…" Kagome poured Ian another glass of water, "It seems you had quite the adventure: fall into the Feudal Era, discover you're the reincarnation of an infamous half youkai, confront your former half brother for you former father's heirloom, and then proceed to give your former half brother a good smack down.  It must have been quite exciting."

            "Hate to admit it, but at times, I was scared out of my mind, thinking I was going to die.  Despite all that, I…I actually had fun.  It's too bad I can't go back," Ian sighed.

            "What's stopping you?  I'd go back if Kikiyo hadn't warned me against it…"

            "Kikiyo said she was going to seal up—"  Ian choked on his water. Spitting it out, "What?!?!  Kikiyo did what to you?!"

            Kagome smiled innocently.  "What?  You think you're the only one to go through the well?  It happened to me when I was your age.  I met Kikiyo, got threatened by some youkai who wanted the Shikon no Tama, even came away with a nifty souvenir of my time there."  She reached down into her shirt and pulled out a light purple glass orb dangling from a long silver chain.

            Blanching, "Is that–?"

            Still cupping the jewel in her hands, "Yes.  Kikiyo gave it to me for safe keeping—too many youkai were coming after the Jewel and she no longer wanted to put the village in danger; the Shikon no Tama is safe here, seeing as the youkai who want it can't pass through the well."

            "But why you, Kagome-basan?  How did she know to trust you?"

            "Let's just say, Kikyo saw a part of herself within me…"  Kagome let her sentence dangle while giving Ian a meaningful look.

            "…Part of her within you?"  His eyes suddenly bugged out and his glass found itself knocked over.  "You're Kikiyo's—  Oh, my God."  Ian got out of his chair and started to pace, massaging his temples, "Too weird.  This is just too weird…  Does Dad know about this?"

            Kagome nodded.

            "Christ.  Don't tell that he's the reincarnation of somebody else too."

            "Last we checked…No."

            "Does he know about me?" Ian pressed.

            "No.  Unless you want him to."

            Pursing his lips, Ian debated his choices.  "…Let's hold off on that for a while.  I know Mom would absolutely freak and make sure I never come anywhere near Japan until I die."

            "Well, then, I won't tell if you won't."

            "Deal."

            It had been only a day, and Ian was surprised at how much he had missed his nice, warm, comfy bed.  Now lying spread-eagle on his bed, he kept his eyes focused on one thing—the Tetsusaiga, propped against the closet door.  He was absolutely itching to use the Fang again, but he couldn't use it here.  Then he remembered what Kagome had said:  What's stopping you?

            _Yeah…What is stopping me?_

            In one smooth move, he rolled off the bed and to his feet.  Once his feet were inserted back into his Nikes, Ian snagged a few things out of his dresser and stuffed them into a pack.  Last, and far from the least, was the Tetsusaiga.

            _Nothing is stopping me.  Besides, he thought with a smirk, __I have a past reputation to fix._

            Ian slipped out the window, heading straight for the Bone Eater's Well…

Fin

…or is it????

lightning flashes, thunder crashes, evil laughter fills the air

Sorry 'bout that…

Anyway, its up to you readers!  Shall I make an attempt and turn this into a series?  If I do, any suggestions on how to handle such an endeavor?  Hell, if anybody wants to write a follow up, just ask me and I'll let you use the characters. (I take cash, credit cards, checks…hee-hee)  Is there anything I can do to improve this fic?  Reviews and questions are most welcome, whether in the review section, or feel free to email me!

Liza


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